Step-by-step guide in BIM issue management

BIM issue management allows you to tackle all the problems that can arise in the different phases of the building’s life. Learn more in this article.

Among the most important aspects in BIM and openBIM processes, are information management and proper communication between the different actors involved in the process. The hard task of managing this is usually the responsibility of the BIM manager and/or the BIM coordinator, who are also responsible for coordinating the team.

In this article, I will explain what BIM issues are and how to best manage them thanks to BIM issue management. I will also provide you with instructions on how to use a BIM issue management software, giving you the possibility to optimize the time and costs of the entire process.

usBIM.resolver | Work team management

What is a BIM issue?

A BIM issue is a problem or a generic case that is generated within a given BIM process (both during the design phase and in the other different phases) to be managed and/or solved.

To optimize the steps of this process, it is essential to collaborate and share the various problems thanks to a specific type of file. This is the case of the BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) that allows you to share the description of the problem, but also the specific view within the BIM model and the various indications to follow to improve the understanding and management of the BIM issue.

To clarify the topic, I’ll describe what are the steps to follow in a BIM issue management process. We will also find out how technology can help through BIM issue management software.

Create a new BIM issue

To create a BIM issue you can use dedicated software such as usBIM.resolver, the software for managing BIM issues. With this application, that is part of the usBIM ecosystem, you can assign the issues identified to the other actors of the process clearly, quickly and efficiently.

All you need to do is

describe the issue in “tasks” (planning sheets that identify a single problem);
identify the activities to be carried out and the related levels of urgency and deadlines along with the persons responsible .

How can these tasks be created?

Tasks can be created very easily. Simply log in usBIM.resolver, and follow the steps below:

first, create the topic (collection of tasks sharing the same theme). Here, you can add the deadline, set the priority, insert the progress status, type a description and choose who to include in the topic;
within the topic, add the task related to a certain issue. Even in this case you will be able to add the deadline, priority, description, etc. You can also decide whether to assign the task to the entire group in the topic or to a single person.

Define participants, deadlines and priorities

As mentioned above, both in the topics and in the tasks you can define a series of information that make the entire BIM issue management process more detailed.

Now, let’s move on to how to define

participants : you can add them to a task through a specific button. This allows you to integrate different characters into a given step of the process. Moreover, you can add people even by importing an excel file, so you get a complete list of participants who may be interested in other activities.
the deadlines to be met – the reference date can be associated with the individual task or the topic (therefore, the general topic that encloses the individual activities)
priorities – you can assign different priorities according to the importance of the task, so you can set a very precise order to the workflow.

usBIM.resolver | task management

Attach documents, images, and reference links to the BIM model

Some problems cannot be solved without sharing documents, images and links that can increase the level of detail.

This can bring significant improvement to

the management of the problem for BIM managers or BIM coordinators;
the activities to be carried out by those in charge.

If you’re looking to increase the efficiency of operations, you need to use BIM issue management software. This allows you to share all the necessary information (images, documents, links, etc.) thanks to a simple drag&drop. By simply dragging a document to the task or topic chat, your colleague will be updated in real time.

You can also share files of any type (DWG, DXF, EDF, RVT, IFC, PDF, Doc), making communication and coordination easier, without being bound to a specific software.

Add tags and filter BIM issues

Classifying activities is a very important aspect for a workflow to result well organized. In fact, this is very important to group under certain types of tasks or topics to allow easy search when needed.

Using dedicated BIM issue management software commands, you can create new tags and assign them to both topics and tasks easily.

It is also very useful to create and organize selection filters that make it faster to search for certain activities.

Import and export BCF issues using BCF file format

The BCF file format (BIM collaboration format) allows you to exchange information related to BIM issues, optimizing the collaboration phase and making the entire process easier.

Usually, the transfer takes place using certain platforms or BCF software that allow a correct reading of the information. Thanks to BIM issue management software, you can share these files with your colleagues by creating specific topics and tasks.

In addition, the integration with usBIM allows you to view these files directly from online viewers. You can also export all tasks and topics in BCF format to comply with all openBIM principles. The end user will just have to make a simple click to identify the problem and, therefore, discover what is the criticality to be solved.